Alytus Region Come! See! Experience! ĮDOMIAUSI OBJEKTAI
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Alytus Region Come! See! Experience! ĮDOMIAUSI OBJEKTAI FINLAND NORWAY SWEDEN Helsinki Oslo Stockholm Tallinn ESTONIA RUSSIA Riga LATVIA DENMARK Copenhagen LITHUANIA Kaunas Vilnius Alytus Region. Come! See! Experience! BELARUS RUSSIA Alytus Alytus region – it is the city and the region of Alytus, long known for the beauty of its nature, lakes, lively Minsk streams, stunning history, culture as well as sincere and hospitable people. There are many unique monuments POLAND GERMANY of nature, archaeology, architecture and urbanism that can’t be found anywhere else in Lithuania and which are surrounded by various legends. Everyone can have a great time here: the ones who enjoy active entertainment, peaceful resting, wishing to supple- ALYTUS TOURISM VISIT ALYTUS ment their store of knowledge, to learn Dzukian crafts or culinary secrets, and have a delicious and satisfying INFORMATION CENTRE meal. Therefore, it is way better to come, see and experience once than to hear about it many times! S. Dariaus ir S. Girėno St. 1, How to get here? LT62137, Alytus Motor vehicles are the best way to reach the city and the region of Alytus. One can come to Aly Phone: +370 315 52 010, tus from Vilnius and Kaunas by these national roads: No. 130 Kaunas–Prienai–Alytus, No. 128 +370 687 07 703 Naujieji Valkininkai–Daugai–Alytus (turning off the road A4 Vilnius–Druskininkai–Gardinas), No. 220 Trakai–Rūdiškės–Pivašiūnai–Alytus. To the east of Alytus roads No. 220 and 128 are E-mail [email protected] crossed by the road No. 129 Antakalnis–Jieznas–Alytus–Merkinė. www.alytusinfo.lt One can come to Alytus from the boarder of Poland by these national roads: No. 131 Alytus– Kalvarija, No. 132 Alytus–Seirijai–Lazdijai. Designer Jovita Jankauskienė The distances from: Kaunas is 66 km, Vilnius is 105 km, Lazdijai is 46 km, Druskininkai is 60 km. Translated by “Dokana”, UAB Nearest airports: Vilnius International Airport – 106 km, Kaunas Airport – 86 km. Authors of the photographs: J. Baranowski, Z. Baubonis, G. Bernatavičius, E. Dovydėnas, Nearest railway stations: Vilnius – 105 km, Kaunas – 56 km, Šeštokai – 45 km. D. Jakubavičius, A. Karlonas, V.Kozorez, V. Kuchalskis, A. Lavrėnovas, A. Lisinas, B. Malaškevičiūtė, Communication between different areas of the city in Alytus is available using minibuses. R. Paškauskienė, A. Pranaitis, A. Purvinytė, Ž. Sinkevičius, Z. Stankevičienė, J. Struckienė, M. Šematulskis, Z. Šilinskas, G. Tamošiūnienė, L. Valentaitė-Gudzinevičienė, Alytus distr. muni. Communication between the cities, towns and village of Alytus region is available using busses administration, photographs from the Alytus TIC archives. and minibuses, departing from Alytus bus station. 3 a wooden sculpture “A Lithuanian Girl” (au THE MOST INTERESTING OBJECTS thor A. Judickas). Vytauto St., Butrimonys, Alytus distr. The Highest Pedestrian and Bicycle A steel rose heart is placed at its access points, GPS: 54.500997, 24.252714 (WGS) where love locks can be safely hung. This Bridge in Lithuania bridge of Alytus is the only place in Lithuania, Punia Mound The highest pedestrian and bicycle bridge in where you can measure your love in meters. Punia Mound is one of the largest and most Lithuania named White Rose (author of the There are six markings every 40 meters on it beautiful mounds in Lithuania. It is situated project is V. Karieta) was constructed in Aly with the type of love according to the Aristot at the confluence of the rivers Nemunas and tus in 2015 on the remaining piers of a former le‘s philosophy described at it. The love to the Punelė. According to the tales, the castle of railway bridge, registered in Lithuanian Book loved one or the close one can be proved by Duke Margiris used to stand on the Mound of of Records. The height of it is 38.1 m, and carrying them on your hands to a certain mark Punia, which was called Pilėnai. The famous the length is 240 m. The bridge was officially indicating type of love. Battle of Pilenai took place here in 1336. The opened on the 4th of June, 2016. It connected defenders as well as the inhabitants of the the bicycle paths of both banks of the river The bridge is decorated by the sculpture of castle decided to perish in the flames rather Nemunas dividing the city. V. Kančiauskas “Apple Blossom” than surrender to the Crusaders. (orig. “Obels žiedas“). A military railway to Alytus, as a thirdclass After thorough explorations of the mound, Dainų slėnis, Alytus fortress, was constructed in the second half the archaeologists identified that there was a GPS: 54.393116, 24.081376 (WGS) of the 19th century in order to strengthen the castle on the mound in the 13th14th century, western borders of the Russian Empire (the Fountain of Butrimonys Town which was burnt down, and a new castle was current territory of Lithuania was occupied by The only reconstructed triangular square in built in in its place in the 15th century. How the Tsarist Russia at that time). An innovative Lithuania was opened in Butrimonys in 2019. ever, the latter also burnt down in less than cantilever bridge of 33 m of height and 240.5 The exceptional accent of the renewed square a century, and the new large palace was con m of length was constructed in this place in is the fountain. It is the only such in Lithua structed here in the end of the 16th century. 18971899. The carriageway of the bridge was nia: of the form of acrylic flask with a huge Later it simply decayed. designed for rail and carriage traffic. vortex whirling inside of it. Water is running Punia, Alytus distr. The bridge was destroyed by the retreating down the side of the fountain which creates a GPS: 54.512252, 24.091558 (WGS) Tsarist army during the World War I in 1915. magnificent view. After the dark the fountain The Germans who occupied Alytus built a is illuminated in various colours. Alytus Ethnographic Museum Modern and interactive expositions of Alytus temporary wooden military railway bridge in The beautiful Butrimonys Square became a its place. The height of it was 35 m, and the Ethnographic Museum ingeniously tell the favourite leisure place for everyone. There story of the region. The museum was estab length – 294 m. The bridge served until 1926, are playgrounds for children, swings, outdoor and later it was dismantled. lished in 1928 on the initiative of the city’s musical instruments and a drinking fountain, intelligentsia. Today it holds almost one hun The current bridge is popular among the en and the symbol of the old square – a stone of dred thousand exhibits – historical, ethno thusiasts of extreme entertainment – bungee 58 tons with an inscription “To the Fighters graphical and archaeological material, which is jumping popular all over the world are organ for Lithuania’s Independence” carved on it in included in the funds of the museum from all ised on the bridge (https://ropejumping.lt). 1999 – gives a special charm to it as well as regions of Southern Lithuania. Alytus Ethno graphic Museum has several branches as well. Various educational activities for students and adults take place at the museum. Free entry. Closed on Sundays and Mondays. Savanorių St. 6, Alytus, phone: +370 315 51 990, www.alytausmuziejus.lt GPS: 54.397854, 24.050482 (WGS) 4 5 Alytus Region. Come! See! Experience! THE MOST INTERESTING OBJECTS Alytus Mound Biosphere Reserve of Žuvintas Alytus Mound – it is a centuriesold witness Biosphere Reserve of Žuvintas is the oldest to the founding of the city, the foot of which protected territory of Lithuania, established is decorated by the exposition of sculptures in 1937. In 2011 the Biosphere Reserve of “Ancestors of Alytus Mound”. The mound is Žuvintas was included into the World Net covered by countless legends. One of them work of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO‘s tells about the love and the emergence of the Man and the Biosphere Programme. The name of the city. Once a Duke Alyta used to Biosphere Reserve is part of “Natura 2000“ live here who fell in love with a priestess Mir network of areas, and it is enrolled into the list grausėlė. The local castle was attacked by the of protected areas under the Convention on Crusaders. A lot of soldiers fell in the fight, Wetlands and Shallow Waters (Ramsar). Alyta broke out of encirclement of the Cru One can learn about natural values of the re planned to be built in the centre of the park, The reserve was granted the status of Eu saders, rode to the Hill of Gabija, where Mir serve and their protection during a visit to the so it would look as a sun, and all paths leading ropean Network of Protected Areas Natura grausėlė kindled the sacred fire, hid her and Reserve Visitors Centre. Bird watching is of from it – as the beams of the sun. Squirrels 2000 in 2009. returned to the fight. He fought bravely but fered through telescopes and binoculars from playing in the garden put a smile on every There are ecological and nature cognitive trails died. When Mirgrausėlė learned this, she wept an observation tower nearby on the shore of one’s face. There are 55 species of trees and so bitterly that her tears began to flow into the the Lake of Žuvintas; there is also an educa in Vidzgiris Botanical Reserve for those who bushes in the garden as well as four titles oaks: are interested in nature and love hiking. They river Nemunas. Prophets gave the stream the tional cognitive track with a small tower for one was planted in honour of the President name of Alytupis, and the town established bird observation.